PERFORMING on stage at the IndigO2 in London is a mere dream for many aspiring performers, but for 16-year-old Ollie Coombes, it will be a reality on Saturday, July 10.

Ollie, who lives in Fovant, is through to the national grand final of Live and Unsigned, where he will perform in front of a live crowd and judging panel.

Ollie started his musical career aged nine years, playing drums. “Then I took up bass. I wrote my first song when I was 12 and I have only been playing in front of people for a year and a half. I was thinking this time last year about Britain’s Got Talent but that was not really me. They are very good at manipulating people. I like putting my own originality into what I do and this competition offered the chance to be ‘me’,” he says.

For the southern England final, Ollie had to perform for three minutes, singing and playing the guitar. He performed Tom Petty’s Free Falling and his own song, Let’s You Down. Acoustic indie and pop is how Ollie describes his music and he hasn’t yet decided what music he will perform in the finals.

Ollie has just finished his GCSEs and is looking to make a career in music, hoping to study music and music technology.

Live and Unsigned promotes live, original music for unsigned bands and artists and is open to all genres of music from heavy rock to rap. The overall win ner of the competition takes home a winner’s package which includes equipment, coverage and promotion, as well as being offered a recording and management contract with Future Music to release a single. There are also several lesser prizes.

If anyone wants to help Ollie win Live and Unsigned, they can vote for him by texting ‘unsigned29’ to 84222 (£1 cost involved).